Color Field Painting

15 Years

Color Field Painting

15 Years

Background History

Color Field Painting is a style of abstract painting that started in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s. Clemet Greenberg was the first art critic to establish the difference between Color Field Painting and Abstract Expressionism. It was started in the late 1940s by Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, and Clyfford Still. They were searching for a modern and mythic style of abstraction. They searched for a stye that would get rid of any idea of illustration.

Major artists in this Movement

Mark Rothko was born in Russia in 1903. Rothko started painting Surrealism and then transferred to Color Field Painting. Barnett Newman was born in Poland. He started in the expressionist field and then broke away in Color Field Painting. Clyfford Still was born in North Dakota and started in the field of abstraction before Color Field Painting. All three artists were leaders in the development of Color Field Painting.

Beginning

by Mark Rothko

MoMA

by Barnett Newman

Art Inspiration

by Clyfford Still

Beginning

by Mark Rothko

MoMA

by Barnett Newman

Art Inspiration

by Clyfford Still

My favorite painting from the Color Field movement is 1952-A by Clyfford Still. I like it because it reminds me of the ocean. I like how the artist used all different shades of the same color.